Perceptions of Internet Communication & Grooming

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         The article, Young Adult Perceptions of Internet Communications and the Grooming Concept, aimed to determine the perceptions of youth in regard to online communication, especially in respect to grooming. The researchers highlighted how there is not a universally accepted definition of grooming and also detailed the ways that groomers use technology to identify and groom their victims.

The researchers addressed the following two-pronged research question: Do young adults take part in risky behavior online, and if they do, what are some of the reasons why?  In answering these questions, the researchers hoped to identify how young adults perceive grooming.

The research study was a qualitative study consisting of a sample of 10 participants ranging in age from 18 to 23. The participants were selected from three youth organizations in England. The data was collected using open-ended questions and prompts during semi-structured interviews, which were recorded and transcribed. A thematic analysis was completed to identify the themes that emerged in the interviews.

Three main themes, each with two subordinate themes, were identified. The three main themes were: (a) grooming as a concept, (b) virtual lives, and (c) risk perception. The major theme of grooming as a concept, along with its subordinate themes, illustrated that none of the participants demonstrated a complete knowledge of what grooming is, and all expressed a desire for children and their caregivers to receive information about grooming at the time when social media use begins. The virtual lives theme and sub-themes showed that all participants regularly used social media regularly for socializing with others and to learn about other people, both known and unknown. The final major theme and sub-themes of risk perception theme found that risk perception did not match reality, as many participants indicated that they did not take risks, yet their answers to questions showed that they have done so. However, their answers to interview questions indicated that the risks were all taken when they were younger, which indicated that risk perception increased with maturity.

The information presented in the background section in the article regarding how grooming happens and how easily kids can be vulnerable to it was quite alarming. It was mentioned twice that grooming often happens in the home and is often not detected, even by caregivers who are engaged. The need to educate children and their caregivers about the concept of grooming, the signs to help identify it, risk factors that make children vulnerable, and potential consequences of being groomed was highlighted. Kids, and often adults, do not see grooming in the same context as sexual abuse or exploitation, which is a major reason why this education is needed. As an educator and parent, I am very interested in learning more about this topic, and I am especially interested in how I could help my students and their parents to learn more about what grooming is and how to spot and prevent it.

 

Wood, A. C., & Wheatcroft, J. M. (2020). Young adult perceptions of internet communications and the grooming concept. SAGE Open. https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244020914573